Changing Trends in Sulfur Emissions in Asia:  Implications for Acid Deposition, Air Pollution, and Climate

In the early 1990s, it was projected that annual SO2 emissions in Asia might grow to 80−110 Tg yr-1 by 2020. Based on new high-resolution estimates from 1975 to 2000, we calculate that SO2 emissions in Asia might grow only to 40−45 Tg yr-1 by 2020. The main reason for this lower estimate is a declin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2002-11, Vol.36 (22), p.4707-4713
Main Authors: Carmichael, Gregory R, Streets, David G, Calori, Giuseppe, Amann, Markus, Jacobson, Mark Z, Hansen, James, Ueda, Hiromasa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acid Rain
Acids
Air Pollutants - analysis
Air pollution
Applied sciences
Asia
Atmospheric pollution
Climate
Coal
Commerce
Emissions
Environmental Monitoring
Exact sciences and technology
Greenhouse Effect
Incineration
Industry
Pollution
Power Plants
Sulfur
Sulfur Dioxide - analysis
Trends
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Summary:In the early 1990s, it was projected that annual SO2 emissions in Asia might grow to 80−110 Tg yr-1 by 2020. Based on new high-resolution estimates from 1975 to 2000, we calculate that SO2 emissions in Asia might grow only to 40−45 Tg yr-1 by 2020. The main reason for this lower estimate is a decline of SO2 emissions from 1995 to 2000 in China, which emits about two-thirds of Asian SO2. The decline was due to a reduction in industrial coal use, a slow-down of the Chinese economy, and the closure of small and inefficient plants, among other reasons. One effect of the reduction in SO2 emissions in China has been a reduction in acid deposition not only in China but also in Japan. Reductions should also improve visibility and reduce health problems. SO2 emission reductions may increase global warming, but this warming effect could be partially offset by reductions in the emissions of black carbon. How SO2 emissions in the region change in the coming decades will depend on many competing factors (economic growth, pollution control laws, etc.). However a continuation of current trends would result in sulfur emissions lower than any IPCC forecasts.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/es011509c